GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The memorial for conservative icon Charlie Kirk might be held on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The 31-year-old Kirk — a confidant of President Donald Trump — was fatally shot on Sept. 10 whereas talking with college students at Utah Valley College. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated homicide and different crimes associated to the capturing.
Right here are some things to know in regards to the venue that can host Kirk’s memorial service:
Who makes use of State Farm Stadium?
State Farm Stadium is a multipurpose, retractable roof stadium that may maintain as much as 73,000 individuals for its largest occasions. It is situated in Glendale, which is a suburb simply west of Phoenix.
Its most recognizable tenant is the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and the franchise has performed on the facility because it opened in 2006. The Cardinals don’t personal the stadium and confirmed by spokesman Mark Dalton that the crew was not concerned in reserving Kirk’s memorial service.
Faculty soccer’s Fiesta Bowl can also be performed annually on the stadium.
The power is owned by the Arizona Sports activities & Tourism Authority and operated by ASM International, which handles occasions. AZSTA spokeswoman Kristen Pflipsen wrote in an e-mail response that the Kirk memorial is a “paid, personal, contracted occasion. As with all personal occasions, we don’t launch particular contract info.”
Why is the occasion at State Farm Stadium?
The stadium is the biggest facility within the Phoenix metropolitan space and in addition has air con, which is beneficial within the Sonoran Desert the place the temperature routinely tops 100 levels Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), even in late September.
Kirk additionally has ties to Arizona. His conservative group Turning Level USA is predicated in Phoenix and Kirk lived within the space.
The Cardinals won’t be in Glendale on Sunday, as a substitute taking part in in California in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers. That left the stadium accessible for rental on quick discover.
What different occasions are held at State Farm Stadium?
State Farm Stadium isn’t any stranger to massive occasions, internet hosting three Tremendous Bowls, together with largely current in 2023 when the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
The power additionally hosted the NCAA males’s basketball Last 4 in 2017 and 2024, and a pair of video games in soccer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup in June.
The stadium additionally has hosted many non-sporting occasions over time, together with concert events by the Rolling Stones, U2, One Route, Metallica, Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Morgan Wallen. There are also smaller occasions like commerce exhibits, company occasions and weddings. The State Farm Stadium web site says it’s booked roughly 120 occasions per 12 months.
